He is Here! (Mary)

Hi, this is my third posting and I love this website! Since my last posting my son arrived. The birth was amazing, 10 hours, with my husband, mom, and sister present. He was 7lbs 3oz and 19.75in. I went into labor on my due date, and he arrived the next morning.

My body had changed so much when I had my daughter that I didnt really care what it would look like after I had my son, I gained about 30lbs from the day we found out I was pregnant (most in the second trimester) (which put me 40lbs away from my goal weight), and still got some new stretchmarks on my belly, I was just meant to have them I guess! I exersized and ate right through most of my pregnancy, even loosing a few pounds in my last week due to lots of walking to try to go into labor! I started working out 1 week pp, and plan to keep pushing as long as my body will hold up!

I am going to start saving for a tummy tuck because we are done having kids and I really want to regain my old body, its not that I want to look like someone else, or that I have unrealistic views of how I should look, but I really try to take care of myself and there is nothing I can do to loose the extra skin and stretch marks. I know this web site is about support and acceptance of how having children may change you but this is something I need to do for me, and I feel like it is more than just physical acceptance. I really appreciate all the support I have gotten from the amazing women that post here, and I will continue to update my changes and give my support to others.

Attached are some photos, the first is me hours before going into labor, then my little man, and then me 2 weeks pp.

Wow! Are you kidding me?!!! You look AMAZING!!! Your stomach looks much better than mine and I am a year pp. I dont see much sag and those stretch marks will fade with time. Great job taking care of your body you look two years pp. Good luck with that very handsome bundle of joy!

Why do you need a tummy tuck??? You look phenomenal! I am 1 week pp today and if I look like that in a week I will be thrilled beyond belief! I’ve already lost 25 pounds but look like 5 months pregnant still. I think even if you went to a surgeon to get a tummy tuck he’d tell you there’s nothing to tuck!!! I hope you see yourself in a new light soon, because the fact that you’re body is perfect and you are so unhappy with it is sad.

I agree with Kerry! Honey, I have gone for a TT consultation.. and I need a tuck! (3 years later and still this?) You are only 2 weeks PP and your stomach is AMAZING!!! Give it time! It took our bodies 9 months to create such miracles, we could at least give our bodies 9 months to come back to us! We are too hard on ourselves!! Congrats on the body and the baby! :)

Thank you so much for the comments. I am now 6 weeks pp and havent lost any more weight than when I was 2 weeks pp, but the weight has shifted, Im smaller and more toned now! Im really happy I stuck with my diet and working out during and after pregnancy and am not saving for a tummy tuck at the moment… Im trying microdermabrasion and a copper firming treatment on my tummy for now. I will post more pictures later after the working out and skin care plan is taking effect more. And Ill post some pictures of the little guy, well big guy, he has gained almost 3lbs in 6 weeks! I forgot how fast they grow in the first few months! Thanks again!

YOur baby is two weeks old. Of course you have ‘extra’ skin. Good grief. Your insides haven’t even healed yet, how do you think your outsides could have healed?
I see you have updated, and aren’t saving now for the tummy tuck. Good! I think the healing that needs to happen is not a physical thing at all.

I feel really bad about how I sound in my posting. I dont feel un-realistic about how I want to look, and I really do feel lucky for how I do look. Im sorry if I made anyone mad about saying I want a tummy tuck, I know my tummy looks good, but the problem I was having was with my stretch marks, the ones you see in the pictures are from my first pregnancy, and are still deep and dark. I know I dont have a serious skin sagging problem, and that my tummy will continue to tighten up since Im only a few weeks pp. At the time of this posting I was still in shock from just having a baby and I know it takes time… now looking at it just a few weeks later I am super excited about how I look and cant wait to see what else suprises me in the next few months. After my first pregnancy I never thought my body would ge back to how it was before, but about a year later it was back! And now that I know it is possible to regain my shape I think I was just feeling like it had to happen sooner. Once again, I never wanted to offend anyone and I really appreciate the comments, they really helped me straighten out my feelings about myself and how I need to be patient with my body.

Mary, I TOTALLY understand where you are coming from!! I am a 26 yr old mother of 2 boys and although my skin didn’t sag, I DID get stretchmarks and its funny because they are in the exact same pattern as yours are! :) I look at your pictures and I think you are beautiful but when I look at myself, it’s really hard to see past my stretchmarks! Oh how I dream of laying on the beach in a bikini like all the other women my age but there is NO way I would do that unless I had a tummy tuck. I see nothing wrong with getting one and I too plan on having the surgery when I can afford it! :) The one thing I’m concerned about though is my belly button! I’ve seen some before and after pics of tummy tucks and some of them have some new funky looking belly buttons going on! lol oh well, because I wouldn’t care as long as I could wear a bikini again!! Do what makes you happy hun and if a tummy tuck will help you feel more confident then I say go for it!! :)

tummy tuck? do what you want, but i really seriously don’t think you need it… at all actually. that’s a major surgery that shouldn’t be taken lightly, you just don’t have enough to take off. can’t working out real hard give you the look you want? idk… I’m 37wks now w/ 1st and i’ve always been pretty vane about my body and keeping it looking it’s best, and I hope I look as good as you do after.

You look great! I understand the skewed thoughts right after having a baby- its easy to get down on yourself. If you still feel like you should get a tuck, well its your body. But know that you look AMAZING!!

I think you look great and congratulations on your babies. I understand about wanting a tummy tuck though. I also got lots of stretch marks and would love a tuck to get rid of them but not till I’m done having babies. In your previous post you mentioned you had a breast augmentation to smooth out the scars. I would love to hear how successful this was for you as I am strongly considering it myself as the stretch marks on my boobs really get me down. I’m worried though that it might make them look worse or could cause more. Would love to hear your experience if you are still on here (I’m new to this site and have only just read your story). thanks for sharing your story!

Hey, if I could do it over again, I would have waited until I was done having kids and at least 2 years pp to get my augmentation. My body has changed so much and with the weight of the implants and stretch from having a second baby, my boobs are SAGGING! And I am a lot slimmer now than after I had my daughter (because I am a few years pp) and now they are not a size that fits my frame. I wear sports bras all the time to try to “tone them down”. Other than that, they havent changed my stretch marks much. I didnt get any more, but the ones I had are just the same. I do love them, maybe just a bit smaller… I love having curves but I want to look balanced as well :)